What Should Be in Your Emergency Kit Before Disaster Strikes?

You never know when you're going to have to bug out on short notice. The politics of the moment are less than predictable. Disasters never strike on schedule, and few stores stay open for a wildfire or an insurrection. As of early 2026, wildfires and the resulting chaos look especially likely in the American West after record-low snowpack levels in the winter will mean less water in the spring and summer.

That’s why it’s important to make plans well in advance and put together gear for an emergency kit, say experts on disaster preparedness—and to stock up on the essentials that can keep your family healthy and safe in the event of hurricane, flood, earthquake, blizzard, wildfire, or all-too-human failures.

But not every disaster is the same. There are two main scenarios you should keep your family prepared for, says Jonathan Sury, a senior staff associate ...